Schneider Electric wages war on fake electrical components

Schneider Electric is intensifying efforts to purge counterfeit electrical components from Nigeria’s supply chain, as mounting casualties and a staggering economic toll from substandard products pressure the industry to act.

The Paris-based energy management company is expanding partnerships with certified distributors, deploying QR-code verification systems and investing in education campaigns targeting contractors and panel builders, the critical middlemen who determine what ends up inside Nigeria’s buildings and infrastructure.

Nigeria’s electricity regulator recorded 757 electricity-related accidents between 2021 and 2024, leaving 451 people dead and 351 injured.

In Lagos alone, 1,000 fire and emergency incidents were logged in the first half of 2025, claiming 62 lives. Meanwhile, unreliable electricity supply costs Nigeria an estimated $26 billion annually, a figure that excludes the additional burden of off-grid fuel costs borne by businesses and households.

“The integrity of electrical infrastructure must become a non-negotiable prerequisite,” said Ajibola Akindele, country president of Schneider Electric West Africa. The company, which has operated globally for more than 180 years, says its products undergo rigorous testing calibrated to West African condition, including extreme heat, humidity, power surges and voltage fluctuations.

The counterfeit problem is pervasive and insidious. Products mimicking reputable brands frequently circulate without the engineering tolerances or safety certifications required to perform reliably under load. Some contractors, driven by cost pressures, unknowingly source inferior components or mix genuine and fake parts, a combination Akindele described as “downright dangerous.”

Schneider’s response targets every link in the value chain. The company publishes its approved vendor list publicly, trains local technical partners, and offers product traceability tools that allow buyers to verify authenticity before installation. OEM-backed warranties and after-sales support are being positioned as competitive differentiators against grey-market alternatives.

The campaign arrives as West Africa’s construction boom accelerates demand for electrical equipment. Commercial towers are rising across Lagos, industrial capacity is expanding in Ghana’s Tema corridor, and rural electrification programs are pushing into Burkina Faso, all creating fertile ground for substandard imports.

Schneider is also pressing regulators and governments to sharpen enforcement, crack down on counterfeit imports at ports of entry, and back consumer awareness initiatives. The company argues that end-users — businesses and homeowners alike, must be willing to pay a premium for verified components, given that the downstream costs of electrical failure far exceed any upfront savings.

Whether market forces and regulatory will can keep pace with the flood of cheap imitations remains an open question. For now, the body count provides the starkest possible argument for change.